Match-box.



No. 875,773. PATENTE-D JAN. 7, 1908.

' H. J. BREEZE.

MATCH BOX.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 1. 1906.

if. s

W cam? rnx NoRRIs rzrsns cp., wAsmumcn, n. c

provements in. Match-Boxes, of which the UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT .T. BREEZE, OF PORT HURON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES N.

RUNNELS, OF PORT HURON, HIGlIlGAN.

MATCH-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT J. BREEZE, citizen of the United States, residing at Port l Huron, in the county of St. Clair and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Infollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to n atch boxes; and it contemplates the provision of a box in which matches are packed, embodying such a construction that it entirely incloses the matches and yet may be readily converted into a convenient match safe or holder from which but one match may be removed at a time.

With the foregoing in mind, the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when the same are read in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my novel match box as the sanie appears when filled with matches and placed on the market. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section of the box with the matches omitted. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the box as it appears when converted into a match safe or holder, and hung on a nail or the like driven into a wall. Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken through the longitudinal center of the box arranged to serve as a match safe or holder.

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings, referring to which:

A is the case of my novel box, which is preferably made in the usual manner of thin and flexible pasteboard, and is rectangular in cross-section and open at its opposite ends, Fig. 2, and B is the drawer of the box, which is also preferably made of flexible pasteboard and is slidably arranged in the case A and is closed at its ends but open at-its upper side. From this it follows that when desired the drawer B may be shoved beyond one end of the case A, to permit of a number of matches being taken from said drawer in the ordinary, well known manner.

The case A is peculiar in that it is provided in its lower wall adjacent to one of its ends with an aperture C; and it is also peculiar in that its upper wall is slitted. at its opposite end, as indicated by a, to form a tongue D which is oined to the main part of the said upper wall by a weakened line or portion 1). The drawer B differs from the ordinary drawer of match boxes in that it has an aperture E in its bottom wall, Fig. 2, registered with the aperture C of case A, and also in that its end wall remote from said aperture E is slitted, as indicated by c, to form a tongue F which is joined to the main part of said end by a weakened line (I.

When matches are packed in the drawer B of my novel box, and the said drawer is slid into the case A, it will be seen that the matches are inclosed and protected in the same manner as if an ordinary box were employed, this because the tongue 1) rests flush with the remainder of the top wall of the case A, and the tongue F rests flush with the remainder of the end wall of the drawer B. \Vhen, however, the box is delivered to a purchaser, and such purchaser desires to convert the box into a match safe, from which but one match can be removed at a time, it is simply necessary for the purchaser to re move the tongues D and F from the case A and drawer B, respectively, and then hang the box on a nail extending through the registered openings C and E of the case and drawer. \Vith this done it will be observed that the case A and drawer B will be held against movement with respect to each other, and casual discharge of a number of matches at one time will be avoided; and it will also be apparent that the altered box constitutes a convenient match safe.

In using the altered box as a match safe, it is simply necessary for a person to pass the thumb and fore linger through the openings left by the tongues D and F, and take hold of a match and draw the same laterally between the adjacent edges of the lower end wall of the drawer B and the top wall of case A. When this is done, the said edges of the walls will by reason of their flexibility give sufficiently to permit one match to pass but will tend to prevent more than one match being drawn out of the box at a time.

When a match is removed from the box in the manner stated, the pull exerted on the match cannot move the drawer B in the case A, because, before stated, the drawer is fixed to the case by the nail which occupies the registered openings 0 and E.

It will be gathered from the foregoing that while my improvements render an ordinary match box readily convertible into a convenient and economical match safe, they do not appreciably increase the cost of the box.

I prefer in practice to provide a weakened line between the tongue D and the remainder of the top wall of the case A, and a similar line between the tongue F and the remainder of the end wall of the drawer B, but I do not desire to be understood as confining myself to the provision of such lines inasmuch as when desirable, a knife may be employed to sever the tongue D from the case A and the tongue F from the drawer B.

The construction herein illustrated and described constitutes the preferred embodiment of my invention, but I desire it understood that in practice such changes in the form, construction and relative arrangement of parts may be made as fairly fall within the scope of my invention as claimed.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, 1s:

1. A match box having flexible walls disposed at an angle to each other to receive matches between them and also having removable, meeting tongues in the meeting edges of the walls. 3

2. A match box comprising a case of flexible material, and a drawer of similar material, slidably arranged in the case; the said case having a removable tongue in the end of one of its walls, and the drawer having a removable tongue in the edge of its end wall that is adjacent to the said end of the case wall; the said tongues being arranged opposite each other with their free ends meeting, whereby the tongues normally form part of the box and when they are removed an opening is forni ed partly in the case and partly in the drawer, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT J. BREEZE. Vitnesses C. N. RUNNELs, S. MGFARLAND. 

